iMore - Comments for "iTunes Radio vs Spotify free: Which free mobile music service is best?"http://www.imore.com/itunes-radio-vs-spotify-free-which-free-mobile-music-service-best
Comments for "iTunes Radio vs Spotify free: Which free mobile music service is best?"enFacebook is optional. You donhttp://www.imore.com/comment/480556#comment-480556

Facebook is optional. You don't have to sign up with your Facebook details or ever have them connected to your Spotify account.

I like Spotify, and iTunes Radio, and glad to see Spotify is competing. I have a paid account, but like they way they did this, as most people would be fine with shuffle. Does offline work with the free version?

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I like Spotify, and iTunes Radio, and glad to see Spotify is competing. I have a paid account, but like they way they did this, as most people would be fine with shuffle. Does offline work with the free version?

I'm trying to like iTunes Radio, but I find does not work quite as well with less know artists. Ex: I was able to buy the Kick-Ass 2 soundtrack, which contains "Pu$$y Drop" (you can guess the first word) by Lemon. I tried to create a station based on the artist and got Classical music (Brandenburg Concerto hahaha). I then tried by Song and a different set of Classical played. This has happened with a few other less known artist. If found, it plays great, if not, I get classical music.

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I'm trying to like iTunes Radio, but I find does not work quite as well with less know artists. Ex: I was able to buy the Kick-Ass 2 soundtrack, which contains "Pu$$y Drop" (you can guess the first word) by Lemon. I tried to create a station based on the artist and got Classical music (Brandenburg Concerto hahaha). I then tried by Song and a different set of Classical played. This has happened with a few other less known artist. If found, it plays great, if not, I get classical music.

I subscribe to Spotify and prefer it (had satellite radio, but let it go due to cost concerns). The frustration I have with any of the music services (and this occasionally goes for satellite and terrestrial radio, as well) is that often one can not get the original recording on older track, and the re-recordings are usually sub-par. As one who tends mainly to listen to older pop, classic country, and classic rock this is very frustrating. I'm sure there are many who don't mind this - I just don't happen to be one of them.

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I subscribe to Spotify and prefer it (had satellite radio, but let it go due to cost concerns). The frustration I have with any of the music services (and this occasionally goes for satellite and terrestrial radio, as well) is that often one can not get the original recording on older track, and the re-recordings are usually sub-par. As one who tends mainly to listen to older pop, classic country, and classic rock this is very frustrating. I'm sure there are many who don't mind this - I just don't happen to be one of them.

I love iTunes Radio for discovering new music (and the ability to add it to a 'wish list' and to rediscover music I had forgotten about. Spotify for me (the paid version) was mostly about the playlist and the ability to share and see what friends were listing too, however with the increase in competition now all my friends are spread out and many don't use Spotify so I stopped my subscription.

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I love iTunes Radio for discovering new music (and the ability to add it to a 'wish list' and to rediscover music I had forgotten about. Spotify for me (the paid version) was mostly about the playlist and the ability to share and see what friends were listing too, however with the increase in competition now all my friends are spread out and many don't use Spotify so I stopped my subscription.

Background:
I'm in the U.S. and have used the free version of Pandora since 06'. I tried Spotify, but because my schedule favors a mobile solution more, I stopped using it. Radio has been free all my life. Initially it never made sense (to me) to pay for radio. Nowadays I do buy iTunes and have iTunes Match. Since iTunes Radio came about, I can count on one hand how many times I've listened to either Pandora or Spotify.
In terms of this shoot out criteria, Spotify's greater international availability would make it the winner, but that's the only reason for me. My findings show that Pandora offers more choices than iTunes Radio in terms of Lounge Music and Christmas Music for some reason. I'm not sure about Spotify. To be fair, I'd have to download Spotify again. I can access Pandora on all my Apple devices except AppleTV. When at home I access Pandora via my Vizio smart tv. Spotify will be limited to the iPhone/iPad apps and MacBook Air for me. iTunes Radio being so woven into AppleTV makes it an overwhelming favorite for me these days. If anyone else likes Lounge Music, please let me know your experience with these different music playing options.

By the way, for the vintage radio feel (commercials and all), TuneIn Radio is my favorite.

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Background:
I'm in the U.S. and have used the free version of Pandora since 06'. I tried Spotify, but because my schedule favors a mobile solution more, I stopped using it. Radio has been free all my life. Initially it never made sense (to me) to pay for radio. Nowadays I do buy iTunes and have iTunes Match. Since iTunes Radio came about, I can count on one hand how many times I've listened to either Pandora or Spotify.
In terms of this shoot out criteria, Spotify's greater international availability would make it the winner, but that's the only reason for me. My findings show that Pandora offers more choices than iTunes Radio in terms of Lounge Music and Christmas Music for some reason. I'm not sure about Spotify. To be fair, I'd have to download Spotify again. I can access Pandora on all my Apple devices except AppleTV. When at home I access Pandora via my Vizio smart tv. Spotify will be limited to the iPhone/iPad apps and MacBook Air for me. iTunes Radio being so woven into AppleTV makes it an overwhelming favorite for me these days. If anyone else likes Lounge Music, please let me know your experience with these different music playing options.

By the way, for the vintage radio feel (commercials and all), TuneIn Radio is my favorite.

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]]>Sun, 15 Dec 2013 19:51:29 +0000bkl93comment 480088 at http://www.imore.comSpotify is not available onhttp://www.imore.com/comment/480051#comment-480051

Spotify is not available on Apple TV, nor integrated with my BMW as iTunes Radio is. The lack of integration with my car is what made me stop being a Premium subscriber and cancelled the account altogether, as I have other (legal) ways of getting to the music I like and be able to have it on Apple TV and in my car.

For me, the winner is iTunes Radio. Yes, I don't live in the US, but I do have an US account which works just as well.

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Spotify is not available on Apple TV, nor integrated with my BMW as iTunes Radio is. The lack of integration with my car is what made me stop being a Premium subscriber and cancelled the account altogether, as I have other (legal) ways of getting to the music I like and be able to have it on Apple TV and in my car.

For me, the winner is iTunes Radio. Yes, I don't live in the US, but I do have an US account which works just as well.

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]]>Sun, 15 Dec 2013 14:27:30 +0000acgmphcomment 480051 at http://www.imore.comNo that is not correcthttp://www.imore.com/comment/480028#comment-480028

Apple is usually a very international company, - their products launch simultaneously in most major markets, then worldwide shortly afterwords.

From time to time though, they can become oddly insular, and develop things exclusively for their home market. The Apple TV is effectively a US only product, as while it can be bought elsewhere, it's long been abandonware with a total lack of support for all local streaming services. iTunes Radio is an even more extreme example of this insular approach.

Spotify then, simply wins by default. It's not really a competition at all.

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Apple is usually a very international company, - their products launch simultaneously in most major markets, then worldwide shortly afterwords.

From time to time though, they can become oddly insular, and develop things exclusively for their home market. The Apple TV is effectively a US only product, as while it can be bought elsewhere, it's long been abandonware with a total lack of support for all local streaming services. iTunes Radio is an even more extreme example of this insular approach.

Spotify then, simply wins by default. It's not really a competition at all.

I have to add another +1 to Pandora (even though not included in the article). Sure, if I remember right, it might be one more example of a US-only service (?), but for US listeners it tops the other two if you want a shuffled/radio-like experience. Plus, it's integrated into almost EVERYTHING these days: car head units, home stereos, televisions... It's sheer ubiquity makes it also much more convenient than the other two -- and it's stations are much more customizable to personal taste.

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I have to add another +1 to Pandora (even though not included in the article). Sure, if I remember right, it might be one more example of a US-only service (?), but for US listeners it tops the other two if you want a shuffled/radio-like experience. Plus, it's integrated into almost EVERYTHING these days: car head units, home stereos, televisions... It's sheer ubiquity makes it also much more convenient than the other two -- and it's stations are much more customizable to personal taste.

In my humble opinion, Pandora is the best. I know that's not an option, but, it is what it is. I've had a number of occurrences where Pandora has led me to a "New" favorite band. However, I have not played around with the "discover" option with iTunes radio...

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In my humble opinion, Pandora is the best. I know that's not an option, but, it is what it is. I've had a number of occurrences where Pandora has led me to a "New" favorite band. However, I have not played around with the "discover" option with iTunes radio...

The ability to search and find whatever album I want and listen to it as well as save it to my playlist for later online listening from ANY device is what makes Spotify a winner to me. As well as the massive music playlist in the radio.

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The ability to search and find whatever album I want and listen to it as well as save it to my playlist for later online listening from ANY device is what makes Spotify a winner to me. As well as the massive music playlist in the radio.